The Legendary Problem Child
"Thank goodness the entrance exam only banned familiars," I said. ""
"And I got beat up while you were on your way, Grand Duke."
I told the Grand Duke about my run-in with Ephemera Flash, the top student. How I'd heard her insult my mom and couldn't hold back, charging in—but she wiped the floor with me without breaking a sweat. And how I'd sworn to pay her back someday. His expression grew a little strange when I got to that part.
""
"What?!"
""
"Y-yeah, you're right?"
"" The Grand Duke opened his beak, saying the First Gen must trust him deeply to send him here, since she might've had zero backup plans. ""
"...Huh?"
""
"Y-yeah."
"think the space is sliced, it is.>"
"....."
""
Witches still needed their innate talents, efforts, and hard work, just like anyone. And among all those historic witches, the current one—my mom—was the strongest ever.
"Witchcraft carries both immense fame and infamy.>"
"...How did I not know any of this?"
""
Did I not want to know about being a Witch or my mom? Sure, it was a shocking truth, but knowing it wouldn't change how I felt about her. If anything, it just made me feel betrayed and hurt—my resentment toward her only grew. Couldn't she have told me? Was there some reason she kept it secret?
""
"...."
""
"...Ugh."
Anyway, I finally got it: my race would make me look weird to everyone else. But stubbornly insisting otherwise might just attract more kids picking fights, like before. My head was a mess—maybe if I'd enrolled as a guy, no one would've cared. Then again, I'd probably get bullied for lacking mana. I'd worried about that, and Mom must've too.
"Wait—does that mean I could turn back into a guy?"
""
"Urghhh!"
Absolutely not.
"I'm a boy! Born a boy!! I'll never be some girl!!"
I wailed it out with desperate conviction, swearing I'd never become a woman. But what good are powerless cries? In the end, I'd enrolled as a girl, and I didn't have the means to switch back right now anyway. Best to focus on academy life for now and think it over.
Drag— I took the student ID the Grand Duke handed me and headed to the classroom listed on it.
Opening the door drew every student's gaze straight to me. Was I that famous already? My classmates were whispering among themselves. Their stares were filled with fear, dread, and wariness—I got it. Just hearing scraps of Mom's "achievements" from the Grand Duke, or seeing the instructor's reaction during the entrance exam, was enough to understand.
I sat in the empty corner seat no one else wanted, thinking academy life might be more exhausting than expected.
"Uwahahaha!! Who's the boss in here?! Let's settle the pecking order right now!!"
Beatus burst in through the front door, hopping like a goat onto the podium. Everyone stared at her with even more terror than they'd given me.
"No way a goat suin exists in this world."
"Real succubus/incubus hybrids really are impossible."
"Imagining it just creeps me out..."
""
"Grand Duke, why say that outta nowhere?"
""
"I really didn't wanna hear that one."
I had no idea what hit the Grand Duke to make him react like that while eavesdropping on the kids. All the attention on me instantly shifted to Beatus. Being hated just for being born? Hard to wrap my head around. But she headbutted the air like it was nothing, cackling as classmates screamed and freaked out. That's when our eyes met.
"It's the princess who smashed the prince! Fight me for dominance too—!!"
"Eek?!"
She launched from the podium in one leap, whoosh, aiming a kick at me. I froze in panic.
"No fighting between friends. Or I'll bite."
"....Sorry."
She bared her teeth seriously, and even watching made cold sweat trickle down my back. Beatus went meek in a flash, dangling in midair like a swing—looking downright pitiful. But moments later, she dropped down and plopped next to me. "This seat's mine~!" she declared, glomping right up against me.
"Perfect! We're all in the same class! Us outsiders should stick together!"
"Uh, yeah... but don't more friends sound good?"
"Why bother with people who judge without knowing you?"
"W-well, true... They won't even come near 'cause we look scary..."
"Exactly!"
Kali chimed in, agreeing wholeheartedly. She vented about how judging by appearances was the worst habit, sounding genuinely hurt. I couldn't respond, just gave an awkward smile. Heck, if Beatus hadn't introduced us, I'd have avoided her too.
""
"Me?"
""
It was odd getting singled out like that, but sucking up to the prof couldn't hurt, like the Grand Duke said. Was it about being a Witch again...?
"Eh, making nice with the profs is never a bad idea, right?"
Our first-year homeroom teacher was a veteran even by academy standards—supposedly an elf who'd been teaching for nearly 700 years since the place was founded.
"Mm-hmm, you're the new first-year Witch, right? Wiyu Witchcraft."
"Uh... yeah."
"Ahem. As you know, this academy has a long history and tradition, with plenty of Witches enrolling over the years. Heard you didn't even know your own race?"
"It's only been a few days since I found out."
"Frankly, that might be for the best. Witch powers are harder to control the younger you are. You'll learn step by step here."
As our advisor, he said Witch powers were as dangerous as a dragon's—and with his experience, he'd teach me plenty. Felt like I was marked as a risk factor from day one... but hey, special attention from a teacher could be a golden opportunity.
"Just don't become a Witchcraft-level disaster."
"Huh?"
"Four full academy evacuations, half the first-year building destroyed, 17 classrooms wrecked, girls' dorm fully burned down three times, boys' dorm seven times, three great demon summonings, three grade retentions... That's just the tip. Total incidents during her time here? Around 487. A nightmare for every professor."
Was it my imagination, or did I suddenly understand why Mom told me not to come here?
"Still see that innocent smile after some catastrophe sometimes. She went on to the greatest fame post-graduation, but 70 years later, she's still my nightmare. And young Witches idolize her, flocking here."
"...Y-yeah."
"Ahem. So, miss new Witch, what's your name?"
"Wiyu Witchcraft."
"Um, I've got some unfortunate news for you all."
The instructor from the entrance exam stood at the podium, looking glum. Confused students glanced around, while my friends shot me questioning looks. I just hung my head, speechless, as he addressed me directly.
"F-first off, Wiyu Witchcraft didn't do anything wrong, so keep that in mind... Your homeroom professor just requested all his unused vacation time at once."
"Wait, when's he coming back?"
"He's never taken a single day off, so that's about 10 years total. He won't return even after you graduate."
The instructor flipped open the attendance book.
"I'll be your substitute homeroom teacher for a while."
Classmates shrugged it off—whoever the prof was didn't matter much. But on the very first day of first year, one student had already earned the title of "the one who scared off the homeroom teacher."